Conventionally, the emulsification and dispersion of functional oil based agents or functional granules into water were conducted by selecting a surfactant according to the required HLB of the functional oil based agents or properties of granule surface. In addition, the required HLB value of the surfactant used as an emulsifier had to be chosen distinctively according to whether O/W type emulsions or W/O type emulsions were to be formed; moreover, the thermal stability and the long term stability were not sufficient, and therefore, various different types of surfactants also had to be used. (ref. Non-patent document 1-4).
Furthermore, conventionally, in exhaust gases from thermal engines (automobiles, power generators, ships, air planes, etc.) using light oil, etc. as fuel, there have been problems involving the inevitable generation of CO or NOx, in addition to PM (carbon particulates) or VOC (α-Biphenyl, etc.). For this reason, independent municipalities have set regulation standards (e.g. below 100-110 ppm), and it has been reported that emulsion fuels to which 50 wt % water has been added are capable of serving as a technical solution to this problem (Non-patent document 5, Non-patent document 6, etc.). Moreover, it is known that high viscosity heavy oils, such as distillation residue oils (tar, pitch, asphalt, etc.), oil sand, natural bitumens, orinoco tar, etc., cannot be used at normal temperature, but can be conditioned for fluidity by the addition of low viscosity petroleum fractions, etc., and the conditioned heavy oils can then be emulsified using a surfactant (Patent document 7).    Non-patent document 1: “Emulsion Science” edited by P. Sherman, Academic Press Inc. (1969)    Non-patent document 2: “Microemulsions-Theory and Practice” edited by Leon M. Price, Academic Press Inc. (1977)    Non-patent document 3: “A technique of Emulsification and Solubilization” by Atsushi, Tuji, Kougakutosho Ltd. (1976)    Non-patent document 4: “Development Technique for Functional Surfactants” CMC Publishing Co., Ltd. (1998)    Non-patent document 5: “A Reduction Effect of NOx and Graphite in the Exhaust Gases Generated from Water Emulsified Fuels” searched on Aug. 25, 2004 The internet URL: http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/top/seika/2002/kanto/kan019.html    Non-patent document 6: “Application study of Water Emulsified Fuel on Diesel Engine” searched on Aug. 25, 2004 The internet URL: http://www.khi.co.jp/tech/nj132g05.htm Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. Kawasaki Technical Review No. 132    Patent document 7: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 07-70574